The present invention relates to a ski of the type provided with a device for damping vibrations which are produced in the ski itself, for example by the effect of the impact between the asperities in the snow and the tip and tail of the ski.
It is known that, in particular during use on icy snow, vibrations in the ski can be triggered off which strongly reduce stability and which make it difficult for the user to control the ski: these vibrations, which, for example, can be triggered by incidental impacts between the tip and tail of the ski and the asperities in the snow in fact reduce the capacity of the edges of the ski to grip the snow, which capacity is already critical in the presence of ice. Vibrations of the said type are triggered more easily (and take a longer time to be damped) the longer and more flexible is the ski so that the problem of loss of control of the ski on the snow because of vibration of the ski itself is particularly serious in the case of alpine skis where, on the other hand, the maximum stability possible would be necessary given the almost exclusive off-track use to which this type of ski is put. The term off-track as used herein refers to skiing along a path or course that is not well travelled and therefore has many asperities, that is, which is very rough and bumpy.
Attempts have therefore been made to make available devices able, if not to eliminate (because this is substantially impossible) at least to damp as rapidly as possible the incidental vibrations which start up in the ski during skiing. One known device consists, for example, of weights mounted fixedly on the tip and tail of the ski. This device has been found, however, to be substantially ineffective if not downright dangerous in that, in all cases, the increase in weight on the tips of the ski retards the damping of the vibration.